Richard Howitt

Howitt was Rapporteur on Corporate Social Responsibility over four successive European Parliaments and represented European interests across international CSR initiatives. One of the key figures in the European Union’s non-financial information directive, he oversaw one of the biggest transformations in corporate disclosure anywhere in the world. He was described as a trailblazer in the role.

Richard Howitt

As lead-MEP for corporate responsibility, Mr Howitt represented the EU on many trips overseas, which involved extensive travelling in Asia, Africa and the Americas. He also represented European interests at several international initiatives, including the United Nations Business and Human Rights Forum and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Forum on Responsible Business Conduct.

Richard Howitt

Howitt was also a member of the Parliament's Development Committee and the EU-ACP Joint Parliamentary Assembly for nine years. He regularly campaigned to raise awareness of the issues around Fair Trade and he wrote several parliamentary reports on relations between Europe and developing countries.

Welcome

This website is dedicated to Richard Howitt MEP.

Biography

Richard Stuart Howitt was born in Reading, Berkshire on 5 April 1961. He currently works as the Chief Executive Officer of the International Integrated Reporting Council IIRC, having worked as a voluntary IIRC Ambassador from 2011 where he promoted Integrated Reporting within business and policy communities. Prior to taking this post Howitt was a Member of the European Parliament for the Labour Party, a role he began in 1994.

Campaigns

Howitt has always been keen to celebrate the continuing relevance of the trade union movement in the UK and overseas. Based on the fundamental principles of unity and solidarity, Howitt has joined others against the UK government’s proposed development aid cuts whilst achieving an agreement to put a cap on banker’s bonuses. Howitt has been involved in several other successful campaigns whilst being an MEP representing the East of England, a few of which are listed here.

MEP

As MEP, Howitt represented the East of England since 1994. He held the titles of Co-President of the All-Party Disability Rights Group of MEPs and Spokesperson on Foreign Affairs for both British Labour and for the grouping of all centre-left MEPs in the European Parliament.

IIRC

It is no longer sufficient for the Company Executive to say "I didn't know." The concept of 'due diligence' says: "You should know."

Richard Howitt MEP, Openining Speech at CSR Europe Conference

Resignation from politics

In October 2016 Howitt announced his resignation from the European Parliament to join the financial services sector by becoming CEO of the International Integrated Reporting Council (IIRC). He said he would be replaced as Labour MEP for the East of England by his former press secretary Alex Mayer without the need for an election, due to the closed list electoral system European elections operate under. The UK will no longer send representatives to the European Parliament after March 2019.As the lead on corporate responsibility across four terms (20 years) of the European Parliament, Howitt was a key architect of the EU’s non-financial information law, giving him the skills and experience necessary to be CEO at the IIRC which describes itself as a global coalition of companies, investors, regulators, standard setters, the accounting profession and NGOs.

News From The Blog

Read the latest articles from our blog on politics.

Betting Companies To Be Banned From Sport Sponsorships?

The Labour Party has promised to tackle what it has termed the Hidden Epidemic of gambling addiction and wants to protect children from exposure to betting at an early age by barring betting firms sponsoring football shirts.

UK Labour Party Future Plans For Brexit

The Labour party line with regards to the EU referendum was to support the remain campaign, but Labour Leader Jeremy Corbyn has since said the people have voted and the decision should be respected. However, the Labour Party, together with the Greens and Liberal Democrats, wanted to see an immediate guarantee that EU citizens staying in the country could remain. The Conservatives did not oblige.

Brexit

Richard Howitt has always been aware that pulling down barriers creates a better world for most people. A big supporter of the UK being a member state of the EU, Howitt appreciates the free movement across Europe and the fact that laws created in the European parliament have bought tangible benefits to people in Britain.